Naruto: Advent of the Outlanders
by Kagyuubi
Summary: After crash landing in Konoha, a strange group of people dubbed the "Outlanders" attempt to make a home for themselves in the village. But the villagers aren't known for being open to the unknown as a certain ramen loving Jinchuriki knows all too well.
1. Chapter 1

**Naruto ~ Advent of the Outlanders**

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All was quiet in the Village Hidden in the Leaves on the day that they arrived. As night came, no one suspected that great changes were coming to the Leaf. For the better or for the worst, it cannot be said. However, these changes were guaranteed to impact the future of the village in more ways than one, ensuring that nothing was ever again the same. That day, the day that they came to this world, set the stage for a new ninja era. This is that day.

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**Chapter One ~ Arrival of the Outlanders**

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Despite being the middle of summer, that morning was cold and wet. Uzumaki Naruto was in bed, the calming sound of rain on his window slowly lulling him back to sleep after a lightning strike and accompany roar of thunder roused him from his slumber.

He lay in bed with his arms behind his head. He turned his face to the window, watching as another bolt of lightning split the grey clouds, much like a knife of light through celestial butter. The rain on the window distorted his view, the small rivulets of water blurring the poles of the street lights outside. He groaned as his alarm sounded, alerting him to the fact that it was now six thirty in the morning.

The serenity of the moment was disrupted, and Naruto turned angry eyes upon the clock. He slowly unfolded his hand from behind his head and thumped the clock, hitting it with more force than was necessary. Disentangling himself from his bed sheets, he slowly slid out of the warm bed and on to the cold wooden planks that made up the floor of his small apartment.

Rubbing at his eyes to remove the last vestiges of sleep from his mind, he linked his fingers together and raised his arms above his head, a satisfied smile playing about his lips as his joints popped loudly.

Yawning widely, he slowly made his way to the bathroom, unaware of a pink haired young woman making her way through the storm to his apartment, growing cold and weary with each step as she pushed forwards to her destination.

As he finished breakfast, a simple meal of toast and instant ramen, a knock on his front door reverberated through the small apartment. He rose from his seat and made his way to the door, the five or six steps it took to reach it requiring too much effort on his part so early in the morning.

As he unlocked the door and swung it open, he was greeted by the sight of a shivering Sakura staring miserably up at him, sopping wet and dripping a small puddle on his doormat. He felt a grin unfurl across his lips as he welcomed the love of his life into his apartment with a grand gesture of his arm. "Good morning Sakura-chan! Come on in!"

She gave him a look of gratitude as she passed him, careful not brush against the blonde and wet him. "Thanks Naruto. I'm freezing; I didn't expect it to rain like this when I set out this morning." She stood in his small kitchen, hugging herself for warmth as he pulled out a gas heater from a small storage closet.

"Well its nice isn't it? I find days like this relaxing."

He plugged in the heater and dragged it over to Sakura, who had seated herself at his kitchen table. She swept a critical eye over the remains of his morning meal. "Naruto, is this really what you had for breakfast?"

He glanced at her curiously as he sat down on the other side of the small table. "Yeah, what about it?" Sakura glanced around, looking for anything vaguely healthy lying around the kitchen. After peeking inside the fridge, she leaned over the table, a stern look on her pretty face as she addressed the knucklehead ninja.

"Naruto, you have to eat more than just ramen! The amount you eat is not good for you; you need to eat fruits and vegetables to keep your body in top fighting form."

"Sakura-chan, this has been my breakfast since I was a little kid, and I think my body's fine if not better!"

"...'Was' a little kid?"

"Sakura-chan... That hurts you know!"

As Naruto had promised the day before, he was now with Sakura in Konoha's Shopping District, helping the pinkette with her shopping. The rain had stopped momentarily, but the sky was overcast. As they exited the ninja tool supply shop, Sakura briefly rifled through the bags, checking that all was in order.

"Alright Naruto, for being such a good boy today, I'll spend the rest of the day with you as promised."

"Yay!" Naruto's victory dance was cut short by Sakura's next statement.

"But it's not a date." The boys' exuberance didn't deflate in the slightest. If anything, he became more ecstatic.

"Aw, you're just trying to play hard to get. I know your game Sakura-chan!"

She turned to face him, red in the face with fury or embarrassment, she didn't know. "W-What makes you think I'm playing hard to get? Where did you get that...? How...?" her sentence stuttered to a halt as she noticed that Naruto eyes weren't on hers.

"Hey, Naruto, hello?" she waved her hand in front of his blank eyes, and flinched when he caught her wrist. Gently, without even looking at the girl, Naruto turned her around and pointed towards the sky. Her emerald eyes widened in disbelief as she failed to comprehend what she was seeing.

Hurtling towards the Village Hidden in the Leaves, trailing smoke from still burning bluish-green flames was a giant, metallic... Something... That they had never seen before. Other civilians standing around the small square began to notice the foreign object swiftly descending towards them.

Sakura watched in shock as the oval object sped towards them, covering a lot of ground in a few moments. Naruto chose that moment to speak, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "Sakura-chan, do you see what I see?"

"Yes I see... Whatever it is."

"Did you notice anything weird about the smoke coming out of that thing? The trail it's leaving doesn't lead to a spot on the ground... It... It seems to be falling from the sky!"

True to his word, the billowing smoke left by the metallic behemoth indicated that the pod originated from somewhere in the heavens, leaving a roughly straight, downward sloping curved line in the sky.

All was quiet on the small square just off the main street of the village. Then a man screamed. "We're being attacked! Run for your lives!"

The eerie silence was broken. Mass hysteria and panic replaced the blank, awestruck looks on the other villagers' faces, and they too began to yell and run, sprinting away as fast as they could. Sakura was the first to snap out of her daze, and she roughly shook Naruto to get his attention.

"Naruto! Hey, Naruto! We have to tell Tsunade-sama about this! Come on!" she began dragging him, pulling on his arm as he slowly returned to reality. A look of grim determination replaced his blank look, and he pushed Sakura ahead of him as they ran, intent on protecting his friend and teammate.

"Alright let's go Sakura-chan! I'll bring up the rear!"

Together the two shinobi sent chakra to their legs and jumped to the roof of a nearby building. About one and a half kilometers away stood their target, the Hokage Mansion. After taking a quick peek behind them at the rapidly gaining pod, they began to run, faster than they had ever run before.

The streets of Konoha were in pandemonium. Civilians and shinobi alike were rushing away or towards the strange object falling from the sky. The Godaime Hokage watched as the thing drew nearer, an impassive look upon her face. Her aide, Shizune carrying her pet pig Tonton burst into the room, calling for her Hokage.

"Tsunade-sama, we've got a problem! At the rate that thing is falling, it will hit the outskirts of the village in five minutes!"

Tsunade continued to stare out of the window. "What can we do Shizune? All we can hope for is for that thing to hit the main street and lose momentum while causing as little damage as possible."

Shizune looked appalled. "Tsunade-sama! We can't let it hit the village! We-"

"Enough Shizune! I know how you feel, I want to stop it desperately too, but this type of attack is unprecedented. Tell the ninja who've gathered in the courtyard not to attack until the pod has stopped, and even then, approach with caution. Also, instruct them to check the main street for any civilians and get them to safety. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" replied Shizune as she sprinted from the office. Tsunade leaned against the window, pressing her forehead against the cool glass. She gazed at the metal pod hurtling towards her village.

_'Four minutes and twenty seconds to go.'_

Naruto and Sakura were bounding from roof top to roof top, the red mansion only a kilometer away their target. As they leapt across the street to avoid a building too high to jump over, the villages' intercom system sounded, echoing throughout the streets and silencing the panicked cries.

"Citizens of Konoha! The unidentified object approaching our village will hit in three minutes and thirty three seconds. The object will land on the main street about five meters past the main gate and will keep going until it reaches the base of the Hokage Mansion. Avoid the main street at all costs and follow the directions of the shinobi to the bunkers in the Hokage monument. Please do not rush to the entrances, form two lines and assist your fellow villagers where possible. When it is deemed safe, three loud bursts of sound will be broadcast over the intercom, indicating that it is safe to return to your homes. Please do not leave the bunkers until you hear the sounds. Thank you for your cooperation."

"Seems like they know." Sakura glanced over at Naruto while pulling out a disposable light stick, a standard shinobi tool the pair had just restocked on. She briefly lamented the loss of her ninja tool supplies, which they had dropped as they ran.

"It's kinda hard to miss that giant thing in the sky and the panicked crowds. Since Tsunade-sama knows, let's help direct the civilians!"

"Right!" Naruto reached into his weapons pouch and was interrupted as he grabbed onto a flag pole to swing to the next roof. He pulled out a light stick and uncapped it, shaking it to activate the light crystals within.

The intercom sounded. "Two minutes and forty five seconds until impact."

"We better hurry Sakura-chan, look there; there are still some people near the main street."

She nodded as they began to descend from the rooftops, bouncing between the walls of two buildings that formed a narrow alley that led onto the main street. The blonde and the pinkette hit the ground running, appearing before the family of four moments later.

They began to motion with their light sticks, directing the group down a side street towards the procession leading towards the bunkers.

As the intercom announced the one minute mark, Naruto and Sakura were heading towards the mansion, slowly steering away from the main street as they jumped to the next roof. The streets were clear of civilians, until Naruto spotted a little girl standing in the middle of the street, staring wide eyed at the approaching monstrosity.

Tsunade had also seen the girl and had been about to jump out the window and grab her when she noticed Naruto bounding across the rooftops, intent on rescuing the girl. Meanwhile in the background the thing was coming at them fast. Now that it was closer, close enough to skim the treetops of the surrounding forest, she could see more details.

It was about two thirds the size of the Hokage Mansion and was longer than it was wide. _'Still,'_ she thought as she pounded her fist against the windowsill in frustration. _'That thing is going destroy the buildings lining the main street and will surely cause great destruction to the mansion. Everything my Grandfather built, that he and all the previous Hokages died to protect is at stake. I must protect the village and its people, or their lives would have been lost for nothing.'_

She gazed down at the blonde ninja sprinting desperately across the rooftops and across electrical cables strung between buildings, the small black haired girl the only thing in his sights.

"Thirty seconds until impact."

"Hurry Naruto!" Sakura spurred him on, praying that he would make it in time. Naruto was panting, his legs burning from over exertion. Still he continued, sending large amounts of chakra to his leg muscles, cracking the cement surfaces of the roofs and smashing through wooden awnings. His speed doubled as the wind whipped past his cheeks, stinging his eyes.

"Fifteen seconds until impact."

"Damn it, damn it!" he spared a fleeting glance back at Sakura. "Run Sakura-chan! Leave while you can!"

Sakura expression was one of shock. "I won't abandon you Naruto! I-"

"There's nothing more you can do! Get out of here while you can, I'll be fine, I promise!" She watched as the last genin of the Rookie Eleven shot her a reassuring grin, his eyes briefly closed to hide his emotions before returning his attention to the little girl.

Sakura turned away, tears streaming down her cheeks. _'You better be fine, you knucklehead. You and me, we are the remaining members of Team Seven. I can't lose you now, not after losing Sasuke... There's nothing more I can do? All that training and still people tell me that. I want to help you Naruto, if you'll let me. I want to help you with the burden of that promise...'_

She turned as she leapt away, blinking away tears and keeping firm eyes on the orange clad back of her teammate. She would be ready to help as soon as he needed it.

"Nine seconds until impact."

"Kuso!"

The surrounding rooftops and the streets below were deserted. All the civilians and shinobi had evacuated, leaving that poor girl behind in the process. Naruto's calf muscles felt like they were on fire. A sharp pain ripped through his left leg, causing him to stumble and curse loudly. He gritted his teeth and closed one eye, summoning all his willpower to ignore the pain in his leg. The strain from the constant use of chakra had torn his muscles and tendons, causing him to limp at half the speed he was going at before. He cursed again as he landed badly after a jump, cause bolts of pain to shoot through his injured appendage.

"Four seconds until impact." The object was right in front of the main gates, and the sound of crumbling cement alerted him to the fact that the thing had crashed through the massive portals.

"Two seconds until impact." With only four rooftops between him and the girl, he was positive he would make it. Then his damaged leg gave out as the word "Impact!" and the accompanying earth-shake threw him sideways. The metal pod began to smash through the houses lining the main street, causing devastation and destruction on a massive scale. The families who owned those houses would be left with nothing. Naruto untangled himself from the balcony railing that had broken his fall and two of his ribs. Clutching his side, he leaped over the final roofs' edge, landing on the street below and rolling to lessen the impact. He quickly returned to his feet, searching for the little girl...

...And there she was. She hadn't moved from her spot, instead sinking to her knees and staring up at the large, intimidating metal pod with a look of abject terror upon her face. Naruto began to limp over to her, soon falling flat on his face from his injuries. The thing was almost upon them, churning up the street surface and earth as it dug a deep trench in the main street and surrounding houses and shops. He began crawling, yelling hoarsely to the girl, who was unresponsive despite his desperate calls.

"Can't you hear me? I'm begging you, get out of the way!" His look of intense frustration melted away as her head perked up. She glanced around, seemingly spotting him for the first time. Naruto struggled to his knees. "Quick, give me your hand! I'll get us out of here!"

She smiled with relief. She couldn't have been more than five or six, so a helping hand from anyone was accepted without question. The silver object was nearly upon them. The roar from the surrounding destruction of the buildings and the streets as they crumbled before the behemoth was deafening. She reached out, her tiny hand inches from his. She gave him a sweet smile, one that shone with the trust and innocence of a small child; a simple, heartwarming action.

"Thank you, nii-cha-" Naruto's face and outstretched arm were splashed with warm blood as her hand was roughly whipped away. He could only watch, helpless and horrified as the little girl was dragged under the edge of the pod, her frozen smile and glazed over brown eyes a small consolation to him that her death had been quick. A final spurt of her life essence painted the looming wall of metal a dark crimson. The mark was an indicator of where Naruto was surely going to end up. He shut his eyes as the tears that had welled up began to flow. He had failed to save that little girl and now this was the end...

A strong pair of slender arms wrapped around his chest and lifted him off the ground. Naruto's eyes flew open and he watched as the ground sped away from him, promptly destroyed a moment later by the metal pod ploughing by. His arm was still stretched out, as if hoping to grab the hand of the little girl.

He glanced up slowly and saw a flash of pink. He slowly registered that Sakura had come back for him. He noted numbly that tears were streaming down her own face as she maneuvered them up and away from the danger. He returned his gaze to the spot where she had gone under, the deep trench carved by the pod showing no sign that the little girl had even existed. The pod was slowing down, but still had enough momentum to reach the Hokage Mansion.

As Sakura settled them on what he recognized unconsciously as the roof of Ichiraku Ramen, they watched as the pod collided with the red tower, effortlessly tearing through the building that had stood since the reign of the Shodai Hokage. Fragments of the building burst outward as the pod finally stopped moving. A red chip of cement struck Naruto's face as he watched the Hokage Mansion crumble, slicing deeply into his cheek as it flew by. He barely felt it, his face slowly turning impassive from the rictus of pain it had been in moments before. A third of the pod had smashed its way into the building, just under the window of the Hokage's office.

All was quiet in the village, but it was vastly different from the quiet of the morning that had pervaded the village not so long ago. The pod creaked loudly as it listed slightly to the right, sending a spider web of cracks through the wall of red tower it was using as a parking space. The trail of smoke that had been billowing upwards ceased as the three large circles on the rear end of the pod stopped glowing, the iridescent blue fading quickly until only the metallic silver of the pod remained in its place.

Sakura stood up from her crouched position in front of Naruto. The blonde was seated on the uneven rooftop, slouched over with his hands in his lap and his legs were stretched out in front of him. His face was an emotionless mask. His blue eyes were dull, lacking the warmth and sparkle they usually held. It scared Sakura to see him like this, but she recognized the symptoms of shell shock when she saw them. She gently gripped Naruto's arm, slinging it across her shoulders as she helped him to his feet. Slowly, they made their way to street level, heading in the direction of the ruined Hokage Mansion.

As she helped him along, she worriedly glanced at his face, trying to see how he was faring but to no avail. His bloodied face was turned towards the ground, his mouth was set in a grim line and his eyes were hidden in the shadows casted by his headband. They approached the foot of the tower, joining the growing mass of shinobi standing to the side of the pod, Tsunade standing at the head of the group with Shizune and Tonton by her side.

The Hokage spared a brief glance towards the oncoming pair, her face blank but her eyes filled with emotion. Those soft brown eyes told Sakura she wanted nothing more than to comfort her surrogate little brother who was clearly in a state of shock. The pain would come later, and Tsunade wanted to be there for him when it did.

She returned her gaze reluctantly to the wall of metal upon hearing the collective gasp of the gathered ninja. Strange markings, almost like characters of some foreign language, split the damaged and scratched metal of the pod, glowing from within with a soft blue light. The characters created strange patterns along the surface of the metal, the lines eventually joining to form a triangle with a flattened top point at the base of the structure.

The triangular section jerked forward, away from the body of the pod with a pneumatic hiss, a small amount of gas escaping outwards from the edges. It slowly lowered forwards, hitting the ground with a dull thud after several suspense filled moments. Those who were gathered at at the side of the pod craned their necks, staring into the dark interior of the pod.

Even Naruto lifted his head, and observed a dark corridor lit at intervals by pulsating orbs of blue light. Slowly, a figure revealed itself from within the darkness of the corridor, a vaguely humanoid shape that appeared blurred and spread out not unlike some mysterious gas floating towards them. The pale white being emerged from the darkness as the white wisps of its body coalesced into a single solid figure.

Lightning ripped through the sky, followed soon after by the loud crack of thunder. The rain began to pour down with full force, as more ghostly figures appeared behind the first. They too began to join together to form a group of roughly fifty clearly defined individuals.

The first member of the unidentified metal pod stepped onto the ramp, and shocked gasps rippled through the group as the mysterious figure was revealed to be a girl of fifteen or sixteen, dressed in a strange white garb. She had dark red hair and piercing teal eyes. The mysterious young woman's eyes scanned through the assembled shinobi, a curious look upon her face as she examined the various members of the group, seemly sizing them up, eventually settling on the orange clad ninja watching her impassively, still being supported by his pink haired teammate.

Her eyes locked with his, and she began to walk down the ramp towards him. The group of ninja standing behind the Hokage, a gathering of high ranking jonin, the Konoha Eleven and various chunin, took a collective step back, leaving the two members of Team Kakashi to their fate. Sakura was itching to move back along with the other ninja - there was safety in numbers after all. But Naruto would not budge, as he gazed transfixed at the approaching redhead.

The girl in the white outfit walked right up to Naruto and stopped mere inches away from him. She tilted her head, examining his blood reddened face with curiosity. The rain caused the blood on his face to streak, running down his cheeks towards his chin. Naruto stared back with equal interest. The girl was rather pretty, yet her features weren't like anything he'd seen before. Her eyes were slightly angled, giving her a rather mature look. The structure of her face seemed unnaturally perfect but yet again contained subtle differences that made her unique appearance all the more unusual and interesting. Her rather curvy figure was accentuated by the strange white apparel she was wearing; it looked like a cross between a short dress and a ballroom gown, short in the front and long enough to trail along the ground at the back. The outfit was long sleeved and was off the shoulder on the right side, exposing smooth pale skin.

Strange designs, similar to those on the ship, were inked on to the white fabric in varying hues of blue. The lines criss-crossed to form patterns that Naruto did not recognize. As he was trying to work out where the lines began, the strange girl lifted a hand to his face. He flinched slightly, yet something about her eyes seemed to calm him, they were almost hypnotic and he noticed for the first time that the teal irises of her eyes seemed to be moving, swirling around like a stream. As he studied the constant movement, the young woman's raised hand slowly brushed against his lips, wiping the blood away from his mouth with two delicate fingers. Sakura felt a strange force pressing against her, almost like a strong wind gently wrenching her away from Naruto, despite her best efforts to stay with him.

The strange young woman then leaned forward slowly, holding his gaze with her strange eyes as she kissed him.

They stood there for several long moments, and all the on-lookers were in a state of shock. Had Sakura not been so frightened by the unexpected arrival of the strange young woman, she would have been furious, positively seething with rage. Despite this fear, Sakura noticed that Naruto had begun to kiss the girl back after his initial shock, sowing small seeds of jealousy in her mind. For what reason, she did not yet know. It wasn't like she cared for him that way... Was it?

The redhead broke the kiss for a few moments, tilted her head slightly in the opposite direction and resumed the aforementioned action. Soon after, she placed her hands on both of his shoulders and ended the kiss. Her lips, bright red against her pale skin, opened and closed in various shapes, as if she were trying to form words. Finally, she nodded to herself, released Naruto and turned back towards the pod, her waist length hair swaying back and forth from the simple movement. She addressed the assembled group from the top of the ramp, as more figures resembling herself emerged from the gloom behind her. She held her arms out, as if inviting the shinobi to embrace her and opened her mouth to speak.

"We are the last of our kind. We came here on this day for one reason: to seek out a new land for our people to live in safety. We mean you no harm, all we desire is that you allow us to integrate ourselves into your culture and community and teach us your ways so that we may thrive and prosper alongside you."

The amassed group of ninja began to whisper amongst themselves, until Tsunade stepped forward. "I am Senju Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. You mentioned that you were from another land."

"That is correct, in a way. We would like nothing more than to live peacefully amongst you, should you grant us this privilege."

Tsunade placed her hands on her hips. "You have caused a great deal of damage to our village in your attempt to find sanctuary here. This could be interpreted as an act of war. Therefore, by order of the Hokage, you will stand trial before myself and the Village Council. You are until then prisoners of war. Any objections?"

"None whatsoever, Senju Tsunade."


	2. Chapter 2

**Naruto ~ Advent of the Outlanders**

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**Chapter Two ~ Trials**

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The light of the rising sun fell upon a scene of destruction. The Village Hidden in the Leaves was in ruin. A massive crater stretched from the main gates to the Hokage Mansion, lined on either side with the rubble of once proudly standing buildings. The Mansion itself was graced with the presence of a metallic behemoth that had carved itself a spot in the wall of the red tower.

Incoming and outgoing traffic were being redirected to the eastern and western gates, bypassing the now unusable main street. Apart from that, the village was silent. The early morning hubbub of shop keepers unlocking their stores and making small talk with their neighbors, sounds that signaled the start of a new day, were strangely absent. Today, all the villagers of Konoha were seated in the village council building, awaiting the trial of the strange people not of the land of fire.

Haruno Sakura had just arrived at the Konoha General Hospital. Normally, she would report to Shizune-sempai and begin her rounds, but today, aside from the absolutely essential members of staff, the hospital was empty of medical personnel.

Sakura walked slowly down the first floor corridor, her footsteps echoing eerily in the silent corridors. She shivered involuntarily, whether from the cold air seeping from the various air conditioners or from the feeling of dread in her chest, she didn't know.

She stopped in front of a door, no different than the hundred others lining the walls on either side of the corridor. A small placard with a hastily scribbled name was placed in the holder under the room number. The number 301 on the door, spelled out in stainless steel, shone brightly in the sterile white lighting of the strip lights above. There were no windows; Sakura often lost track of time during her hours at the hospital, making it just a little bit harder to be on time for anything. Still, she was never as late as Kakashi-sensei and she had a legitimate excuse.

After checking that the number of the room matched the name on the door from the clipboard she had swiped from the nurses' desk (due to an influx of medical students, mistakes were often made with patient records, which annoyed Sakura to no end) she knocked on the door and, upon hearing no response, slowly opened the door.

The room was pitch dark, save for a small crack in the curtains allowing a sliver of light to fall on the occupant of the room. The morning light illuminated the back of Naruto's head, lighting up his blonde locks while keeping his face in shadow. As she entered the room, Naruto's eyes slowly opened, two dull blue orbs gleaming in the darkness.

"Morning Naruto. How are you feeling today?" Sakura asked, taking a seat next to him on the bed. He smelled of antiseptic scented soap and his hair was damp - he must have ducked into the showers a little while ago. However, he was still wearing the clothes from the day before, the rusty red stains of blood on his right sleeve and front of his jacket an obvious indicator.

"I feel... Empty." he croaked, his voice hoarse from lack of use. It was the first time he had spoken since the pod crashed into Konoha. Naruto had been silent after the strange people had been escorted to the holding cells. Watching a little girl die and then being kissed by a stranger had left him devoid of emotion - shell-shocked as Tsunade-sama called it.

After trying unsuccessfully to get the boy to talk, Tsunade had personally brought him to the hospital, administering a small sedative to help him sleep. "Sakura, I want you to pick him up in the morning for the trial. Try to get him talking but don't force him. Most importantly, don't bring up the little girl right away, wait until he brings it up." she told the pinkette watching with undisguised concern from the doorway.

Sakura watched him worriedly from the corner of her eye as she moved to the curtains and gently opened them, allowing him time for his eyes to adjust to the light. Naruto didn't react, remaining motionless as the bright morning light shone through the now open windows. Sakura made her way to the other side of the room and sat down on the small bed next to Naruto.

She opened her mouth to speak but closed it rapidly when he began to talk. "Sakura, I feel so... So... Guilty."

Sakura said nothing, instead holding one of his hands in both of hers, squeezing the warm appendage reassuringly. "Naruto, it wasn't your fault. You did the best you could."

"But it wasn't good enough. She's dead because I wasn't fast enough."

Sakura sighed gently. "Look Naruto, what's done is done. It's a sad fact but you have to come to terms with it - you can't save everyone, no matter how hard you train."

"But..."

"You can't change what's happened; you can only accept the consequences and move on. If it's any comfort, you should know that you put your all into that last sprint. There wasn't much more you could do. Your right leg had several torn ligaments, your knee cap had popped out of place, and you broke several ribs, yet you still carried on. That determination is your most admirable trait, and it will take you far if you apply that dedication to all aspects of your life. You did the best you could, take comfort from that."

She leant over and hugged Naruto, wrapping her slender arms around his neck. Naruto's arms slid around her waist and his chin rested on top of her head. Her hair smelt of Minty Rain Forest Mist shampoo, the same shampoo that Pakkun used. Unwittingly, a small smile flittered across his lips and he chuckled softly. Sakura glanced up at him curiously.

"Why are you smiling?" she was glad that he was feeling better but there was no reason for him to laugh. So what was he thinking?

"Nothing," he replied. He didn't want to ruin the mood; Sakura would undoubtedly punch him through the window if he voiced his thoughts. "Thanks Sakura-chan, for being there for me."

She smiled back and released him, nodding in response. She stood up and motioned towards the door. "Let's go Naruto, it's time for the trial."

The great circular building that housed the Village Council headquarters stood proudly to the right of the Hokage Mansion, undamaged during the crash. Every man, woman and child who called themselves a citizen of Konoha were present. They were seated in rows upon rows of benches which encircled the inside edge of the building, broken only by the access ramps and a large section that was elevated and protruding forward, where the Council and the Hokage sat. The center of the council building was bare, with only temporary seats for fifty laid out behind a black marble podium.

As Naruto and Sakura made their way down the ramps towards the row occupied by the Konoha Eleven, a gate on the opposite side of the village councils' seating area slowly slid open and the strangers from the pod slowly filed in, taking their seats while the girl who had kissed Naruto stepped up to the podium.

Naruto watched her with interest as he took his seat next to Hinata, who blushed and gulped audibly before speaking. "G-Good morning, N-Naruto-kun. How a-are you f-feeling today?"

She let out a tiny sigh of disappointment as Naruto continued to stare at the strangers. She followed his line of sight and found that his eyes were focused on the girl who had dared to kiss her Naruto-kun. Hinata was sad and angry, but most of all jealous that the girl with red hair was courageous enough to do what she wished she could.

"Huh? Oh hey Hinata!" She jumped as he gave her his trademark grin. "I'm feeling a bit better today."

"I'm glad, Naruto-kun. I-I wan-" Hinata's quiet voice was silenced as the Hokage began to speak. Naruto indicated with his hands that they could talk later, causing a small smile to appear on Hinata's face. She couldn't wait to talk with the love of her life again.

"Good morning citizens of Konoha. Today we are going to commence the trial of the group of individuals, referred to from this point forward as the 'Outlanders', who crash landed their flying machine in the midst of our village, causing the deaths of a family of four and an unidentified young girl around five or six years of age."

A loud sniff echoed through the room, and a man dressed in the overalls and straw hat of a farmer stood from his seat. In his hand was a small picture of the brown haired girl Naruto had failed to save. "That's Mayu-chan, my daughter. She is... Was my whole world. We got separated in the crowds and... -sniff- And..." rendered incoherent, the man resumed his seat, tears flowing down his cheeks. He was the epitome of sadness, an example of a man who had lost everything. His friend rubbed his back, motioning to the other concerned villagers that he had the situation under control.

The Hokage closed her eyes briefly, watching in her minds eye as Mayu was dragged under the pod, almost closely followed by Naruto. She fervently thanked Kami that Sakura had been nearby, or she would have lost her surrogate little brother as well. She had already lost too many of her important people, and she didn't want to lose another.

Taking a deep calming breath, she continued. "Noted. Along with the five deceased members of our village, three ninja were heavily injured, while a fourth suffered from a moderate case of psychological trauma." Naruto glanced downwards, his eyes darkening as he saw the little girl, Mayu, get dragged under the machine yet again, and he felt the phantom splash of blood on his face, as warm and sticky as it had felt on the day.

That scene had haunted his dreams, denying him sleep or peace of mind. While talking to Sakura had helped, to a degree, he was still far from fine. He would need some time, dreading the moment that he would have to speak with her father and tell him that he was the reason she was dead.

Sakura nudged him gently, and he returned his gaze to the front of the room, where Tsunade had finished listing the amount of collateral damage the Outlanders had caused to the village. As he raised his head, he noticed the people around him mutter amongst themselves, shooting angry glares towards the white clad group in the center of the room.

Tsunade began to address the group. "When you landed here, did you intend to cause the aforementioned death and destruction?"

The girl at the podium replied softly, her voice melodic and enchanting, soothing the agitated crowd. "It was not out intention to cause your people and village any harm, all we were seeking was a new home, since our own was destroyed."

"And you say you come from another land, one far from here?"

"Yes, in a way. We are from another planet, and we crash landed here after making our escape in a heavily damaged..." she paused for a moment, glancing around as if she were trying to remember something. "...Sky machine. Our own planet was war torn, and we would have been driven to extinction had we not escaped."

"Another planet? How do you expect us to believe this unlikely story? More likely than not, you are actually disguised ninja from an enemy village!" a council member spoke up, an old man with deep set lines on his face, giving him a eternal scowl.

"I do not wish to go into too much detail, but yes, we are from another planet, one very similar to this one. There are only a few planets that are capable of supporting life and," she pulled out a strange device, consulting the small screen before sliding it back into a small white bag on her waist, a small tear in her eye. "As of now, there is one less. Furthermore, where the authenticity of our story is concerned, the people of your planet have not yet achieved flight, so is our ship not enough evidence for you?"

The man sat back grumbling, as muttering began to erupt throughout the stands once again. The council was in debate with the Hokage, and from the look of things, Tsunade was winning. The Outlanders, still seated in the middle of the room, glanced around with mild curiosity, taking in the various expressions of the villagers. The girl with the red hair was standing at the podium, bobbing her head slowly with her eyes closed, humming an unfamiliar tune.

After a lengthy discussion, the council members sat back disgruntled. While they had a certain amount of power to contest the decisions of the Hokage, in the end, her word was final. Despite a vote of three to six in favor of sending the Outlanders away, Tsunade had used her might as the Hokage to seal the deal, thus allowing the strangers from another land to live in Konoha.

Tsunade stood from her seat along with the council members. "Outlanders, please rise for the announcement of the verdict." The group of fifty gracefully rose to their feet, while the redhead straightened to her full height.

Tsunade addressed the spokesperson for the Outlanders. "What is your name?"

"My name, in my native language, would be rather difficult for your people to pronounce. Our vocal chords are more developed and as a result, our speech contains sounds that you are unable to make. For this reason, I have chosen a name for myself in your language, if it is fine with you."

Most of those who were present seemed a bit miffed at this revelation. "I... See no issue with that. I will ask you again, what is you name?"

"You may call me Akane of the Outlanders."

"Akane, it has been decided that you and you people can live in this village," a new wave of muttering briefly broke out through the crowd. "With a few conditions. The first six months of your stay shall be in a designated area, where we shall observe you in order to understand your ways and identify any hidden motives, if any. Once the six months are up, we shall review the evidence, and if you pass, you may mingle and live with the general population. Secondly, we request that any and all weapons you may possess, be turned over for inspection, after which they shall be returned; we would also like to examine you through some standardized testing methods to learn more about your people. Understand that this is all for the safety of our village and you. Thirdly, we would like you to remove your machine from the middle of the Hokage Mansion and assist us with the repairs."

Akane turned to face her people, touching her temple with her index and middle fingers while closing her eyes. The rest of the Outlanders did the same, and after a few moments she returned her attention to the Hokage. "We agree to those terms."

"Before the trial is complete, we have an offer to make you. As you are new to the Land of Fire, we would like to assign a guide to assist you until you are comfortable. You may choose one of our ninja for yourself, or we shall assign one to you."

"That sounds lovely. I shall pick." Akane once again closed her eyes and touched her temple. A wave of distortion emanated from her body, moving through the air towards the stands as a circle of displaced air. As it passed by him, Naruto felt a tingle travel through his chakra network. He sat up straight, oblivious to the curious glances he received from Sakura and Hinata. Akane's eyes shot open, and she pointed to the stands, directly at the orange clad genin. Her head turned in his direction and she smiled at him, her strange teal eyes sparkling and swirling as they locked onto his sapphire ones.

"I choose him," she said, amidst the crowds shocked gasps. Whispered words like "Demon boy..." and "She picked _that_ child..." travelled around the stands, angering Tsunade. She hid her feelings behind a smile. The villagers still didn't see Naruto for what he really was. She just hoped that when the time came for her to name a successor as the Sixth Hokage, Naruto would have worked his magic, using that strange power of his to befriend almost anyone, including the stubborn villagers.

"Very well, Uzumaki Naruto, you are off active duty as a ninja."

Naruto stared blankly at his Hokage, the gravity of her words not registering in his mind, until...

'WHAT?" a few people to his right, Kiba snickered, and even Akamaru had some form of doggy grin on his furry face.

"Being Akane's escort will be a full time job. As such, you are relieved of your duties as a ninja for the duration of time that she needs you."

"Tsunade baa-chan-"

"Naruto! My word is final!" she glared at him, and he could see a world of hurt in store for him if he tried to argue. He hung his head in defeat, his headband casting his eyes in shadow. Tsunade smirked as she watched Hinata timidly pat his back and whisper words of encouragement. _'Looks like the brat has finally learned some respect for his Hokage.'_

"Akane, as you wish, Uzumaki Naruto will be at your soon to be assigned place of residence at six am sharp. If you have any questions or if any members of your group need assistance, Naruto will direct you to me if he is unable to deal with the issue himself."

"Uzumaki Naruto..." Akane tested the unfamiliar words, finding the way they rolled off her lips rather interesting. A faint frown marred her face as she gazed up at the Godaime Hokage. "Six am sharp? What does that mean?"

Tsunade was briefly taken aback before smoothly proceeding into her answer. "It is a measurement of time in this world. Naruto will meet you in the morning, when the sun is rising."

"Morning? Sun? These words are all unfamiliar to me."

Tsunade sighed. Naruto would have his hands full with this lot. "All your questions will be answered tomorrow. This trial is now over. Thank you for you attendance, I shall now ask you all to please leave via the exit ramps. Naruto, I want to see you in my office now."

Naruto nodded and stood up to leave along with the rest of the Konoha Eleven. The Outlanders were talking quietly amongst themselves as three ANBU ninja escorted them out. They seemed to almost glide as they walked, as if they were lighter than air. As the crowds slowly filed out and the council members and Tsunade left through a separate door behind their seating area, only Naruto noticed the grieving father of Mayu, sitting quietly in his seat and clutching the picture of his daughter in a shaking hand. He turned his head away, his own heart aching as he vanished into the mass of people at the doors.

The room quickly emptied and soon, only Mayu's father was left. He sat unmoving in his seat, and did not react when the lights were turned off in the room. A small ray of sunlight shone through a window high above, illuminating the picture of the brown haired girl in his hand. As gently as he could, the man slowly slid the picture back into his pocket, while the other hand pulled out the summons to the trial. He gazed impassively at the sheet of paper, seeing only the two words highlighted by sunlight.

'The Outlanders.'

His face suddenly contorted in rage, his hand reflexively making a fist, crushing the paper in his hand. He hurled the paper at the area where the Outlanders had sat. "Mark my words you monsters," he growled. "I will avenge Mayu-chan."

Finally, the man left his seat, making his way to the exit ramps, the beginnings of a devious plan forming in his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Naruto ~ Advent of the Outlanders**

* * *

**Chapter Three ~ Tribulations**

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was exhausted. He rubbed at his eyes as he walked, shaking his head violently from side to side as the horrors of the night that had kept him up returned to his mind. All he could see when he closed his eyes was the death of Mayu, playing over and over again in his mind. He sighed tiredly and turned left, taking the small footpath that led to Training Ground Three.

The path was lined with trees that arched over and formed a natural tunnel, with sunlight shining down in patches through the thick branches overhead. As he made his way through to the bright light at the end of the tunnel, light reflected from his forehead protector danced on the trunks of the trees, bringing light to their shadowy nooks and knots.

The blinding light was a few feet away. He squinted and stepped through, shielding his eyes with his hand. Slowly, a lush green field under a bright blue sky emerged from the white light, fading through like an artist was painting the scene before his eyes.

Other features of the training ground were slowly appearing, such as the twin rows of wooden houses constructed the night before by Captain Yamato in the middle of the field. Alongside the temporary housing sat the giant metal pod that had nearly killed Naruto and was the cause of his sleeplessness. He winced as he noticed the spray of blood that Mayu had painted on the metal was still present; it had dried and was now the colour of rust.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small piece of paper that Tsunade had given him during their meeting after the trial. Aside from some general instructions on where he could and shouldn't take Akane during the tour, she had given him multiple warnings to be on his guard at all times.

"We don't know what their intentions are, so until the six months are up, treat them like you would an enemy. But remain civil at all times; they might have something to contribute to the village, should they be deemed trustworthy, and we could definitely benefit from their advanced ways." Tsunade's voice was as clear in his mind as if she was right there with him, speaking the words into his ear.

After confirming which house was the temporary home of Akane of the Outlanders, Naruto walked between the rows of houses, stopping outside the one with a giant wooden seven engraved on the door. Captain Yamato had outdone himself, building such intricate houses that could easily accommodate two people. Of course, following this tremendous feat, Captain Yamato had collapsed, prompting the medical ninjas who were present to rush the poor man to the hospital to recover from chakra fatigue.

Naruto knocked on the door and stood back, trying to muster a bright smile. It was difficult, but he managed. Now was not the time to be gloomy, he had to be alert and aware at all times. The Outlanders were not deemed trustworthy just yet, but somehow, Akane had given him the impression that she was harmless and gentle. Just looking into her unusual, constantly swirling and iridescent teal eyes had somehow convinced him that she was honest in her intentions, and meant no harm to the village or it's people.

_'What am I thinking? I can't just blindly trust her, she's from another land! A land that isn't even on this planet! I have to stay focused, the fate of the village rests on my shoulders! If I say she's trustworthy and then she and her people attack the village, who are they going to blame? I-'_

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted as the wooden door slowly creaked open. Unconsciously, his body assumed a basic defensive stance. He didn't flinch as the door was suddenly thrown open. He did stiffen in shock as a red and white blur leaped from the dark interior of the small house and wrapped its arms around his neck.

He stood with his arms out to his sides, staring down in shock as the redheaded girl nuzzled his neck with her cheek and pressed her body firmly against his own. She leaned back to gaze into his eyes and smiled innocently. Naruto could feel his face flushing as he noticed a gentle pressure on his chest was being caused by her rather sizable and very soft bust.

He quickly averted his eyes, determinedly gazing up at the clear blue sky above him so as not to be branded a pervert. "H-Hey! What is this?"

She poked his cheek curiously. "The color of your face has changed. Is that normal?"

"Of course it is! I'm blushing!"

"Blushing? Is that what you call it? Why are you blushing?"

Naruto eyed her suspiciously, keeping her eyes at the edge of his vision, looking down only as far as he needed to. She was watching him, a suspiciously innocent yet expectant smile on her lips. _'Is she serious or is she messing with me?'_

"Uh, you blush when you get into an uncomfortable situation, you know, when you get embarrassed."

"Uncomfortable? Embarrassed? Do you not like me holding you like this? I observed a man and a woman performing this action the minute they met last night at the grassy area above the large stone with the five heads carved on it. I thought this was the way your people greet each other."

As she spoke, she seemed to deflate, prompting Naruto to hastily shake his head and reassure her that she wasn't at fault. "No, no, I don't mind this!" his blush deepened as he realized that he honestly did not mind Akane pressing herself up against him. What did that say about him? Was he finally walking the path of the pervert, laid down by Jiraiya and Kakashi-sensei before him? "It's just... People who hug like this are generally in a relationship... Let me guess, you don't know what relationships are?"

Akane looked up at him and smiled brightly. "No, I don't. Why don't you show me?"

"..." Naruto was getting hot under the collar now. Coupled with that still present gentle pressure on his chest, he knew he had to stop this now before all the blood in his face decided to spurt out of his nose.

Suddenly, Akane laughed, a pure and enchanting sound. "It is fun to tease you, Uzumaki Naruto! The color of your face changes to many interesting shades of red."

"Hey!" she giggled again as she disentangled her arms from around his neck.

"So, where will you take me first, Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Hmm... Hang on; you mentioned seeing a couple on top of the Hokage Monument. Did you sneak out last night?"

Now it was Akane's turn to be embarrassed. She held her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide - the picture of innocence. Her cheeks suddenly turned a faint blue, much to Naruto's interest. "Ah, you caught me. I couldn't help it! We are in a whole new world, and the village looked so pretty at night from my window, I just had to take a look. Am I in trouble?"

Naruto held a hand to his forehead. While it was his duty to report to the Hokage on any breaches of the agreement made by the Outlanders, he couldn't help but sympathize with her. Anyone would be curious in her position, and it wasn't like she had done anything seriously wrong...

He sighed. "No, I won't tell the Hokage about this." Akane threw her arms around him again, a delighted smile on her face. Naruto was caught off balance and the two of them went tumbling to the ground, landing gently in the soft grass.

Akane sat up, straddling Naruto's waist. She smiled again, her eyes shimmering and swirling, captivating Naruto. "I can tell this is going to be a lot of fun! Thank you for being my guide!"

Naruto unwittingly smiled back. "Y-Yeah, no problem."

Unknown to Naruto and Akane, two pairs of eyes were watching them, both observing their antics with sadness and anger.

A certain pinkette crouched amongst the bushes at the edge of the field, watching Naruto sitting in the grass and speaking animatedly with the redheaded Outlander. That was the most cheerful he had been since the death of that little girl; he was almost back to his normal good humor. Despite her best efforts, Sakura had only managed to elicit a faint smile from the blonde, even when she had promised to spend another day with him to make up for the last one, which had been interrupted by the arrival of the Outlanders.

Yet this girl managed to make Naruto smile genuinely after only ten minutes with him. A heavy feeling of sadness filled her heart as she realized that she really couldn't do anything for Naruto anymore. She turned and walked away, all plans of helping Naruto with his escort mission scuppered by that scene. The seeds of jealousy planted in her mind the night Naruto was kissed by Akane began to take root as Inner Sakura raged about the injustice of the situation.

On the other side of the field, a more dangerous pair of eyes watched Naruto and Akane, growling when Akane hugged a shocked Naruto's arm and leaned into him as they walked away, looking carefree and happy. That creature didn't deserve to be happy. She and her people took the only thing that mattered in the world away from him, and he'd be damned if he let the Outlanders live a peaceful existence at the cost of Mayu-chan's life. Quietly, Mayu's father slipped away, heading towards the rougher bars in the seedier areas of Konoha. There were sure to be people as disgruntled as him at the arrival of the Outlanders. It was time to start recruiting those people for the cause.

Since she had already seen it at night, Naruto decided to show Akane the view from the Monument during the day. As they made their way through the village, Akane held onto his arm, acting very much like a girlfriend would. When questioned about it, she replied by saying that the couple she had seen the previous night had walked like this. Naruto found that he couldn't say no to her pleading eyes, and admitted defeat gracefully...

... Though he was starting to regret it. The citizens they passed by all stared openly at the display, disbelief and shock on their faces. The Kyuubi brat and the leader of the Outlanders were in a relationship? Whispers and rumors spread like wildfire through the streets, making Naruto feel edgy, prompting him to walk faster.

As they walked, Akane was bubbly and bright, pointing out various everyday items and asking questions about them. Despite her cheerful appearance, she noticed the change in Naruto's demeanor, a direct result of the prying eyes and whispered words of the villagers. Still, she acted like nothing was wrong, and continued to ask questions, preventing Naruto from falling into silence.

As they reached the base of the Monument, she gazed awestruck at the Hokage faces. "Hey, Uzumaki Naruto, how do they carve those massive faces into the rock?" Naruto started to answer, then scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well they... First they... Uh, I don't know, to be honest. I wasn't there when they carved them. Maybe one of my friends will know." she nodded and tilted her head back once again. Her long red tresses fell perfectly straight between her shoulder blades and her fringe curved back as she tried to take in the majestic view above her.

_'Is that her natural hair color? What a beautiful shade of red...'_ he caught himself and averted his eyes. This girl was potentially the enemy. This was no time to be admiring her hair; he had to keep a close eye on... Her?

She was gone. He swiftly spun a full three hundred and sixty degrees, scanning the environment for anything white and red that moved. Failing to locate her, he called out. "Akane? Where'd you go?"

Sensing a small object hurtling towards his head, he raised his hand and snatched the thing out of the air. Opening his hand, he saw that the object was a small ball made of tightly wound leaves. Glancing up to follow the trajectory of the small missile, he noticed Akane waving frantically from the halfway point on the stairs that led to the top of the Monument. _'How did she get up there so fast?'_

She smiled widely before turning and continuing up the long flight of stairs. "H-Hey! Wait for me!"

After a desperate race to the top, Naruto emerged panting and sweating at the final step. He placed his hands on his knees, trying to recover his breath before straightening up and glancing around for the elusive Outlander. He spotted her and made his way over to the bench she was calmly seated at, as relaxed as she had been before the climb.

"How did you get here so quickly?" he panted.

"Gravity was much more, uh, powerful in my land, so I feel stronger, uh, lighter in the lesser gravity of this world."

"I see..." he said, nodding sagely, while struggling mentally to understand. Giving up, he motioned for her to follow him as he made his way to the lookout point. "This view looks good at night too, but during the day, you can make out a whole lot more."

Akane stopped at the safety bar and gazed wide-eyed at the stunning vista before her. The whole village was laid out like the world's largest map. Naruto began to point out the important landmarks such as the Konoha General Hospital, the Hokage Mansion, Ichiraku Ramen...

"So, what do you think? Pretty amazing huh?"

"It's... Beautiful. I honestly do not know any other words in your language to describe this..."

Naruto smiled and left her where she was, heading over to an ice cream vendor's cart situated nearby. Purchasing a dual stick popsicle, he once again took up the spot by her side, breaking the blue popsicle in half and offering it to her.

She accepted it curiously. "What is this?"

"That is a popsicle. You better eat it quickly or it'll melt."

"Right!" taking a massive bite, Akane quickly swallowed half of the icy treat.

"Wait, not that fast..." Naruto sighed as she clasped her head in pain. "I know I said eat it quick, but not that quick. If you eat these things too fast you'll get brain freeze."

She stared at him in horror. "You froze my brain? What have you done to me?" Naruto sweat-dropped. This was going to be a long six months.

After reassuring her that her brain was fine and had suffered no adverse effects, the blonde and the redhead found themselves seated on a small bench, enjoying the last of their popsicles and each other's company. Akane was the one to break the comfortable silence that had enveloped them.

"Hey, Uzumaki Naruto-"

"You can just call me Naruto you know."

"Ah right. So Naruto, why were your fellow villagers staring at you earlier? The looks they sent you didn't seem very friendly."

Akane felt a sense of worry pass over her heart when the cheerful atmosphere around the blonde ninja seemed to disappear. He glanced down at his feet, his eyes cast in shadow by his forehead protector. "I... I'm... I'm not sure how to put this."

"Then show me." Naruto glanced up at the girl beside him.

"I can't exactly take it out and show you, trust me; no one would like it if I could."

"Just leave it to me. Look into my eyes Naruto." he followed her instruction without question, his now dull blue eyes locking with her swirling teal ones. She clasped his cheeks with both hands and laid her forehead against his. "My eyes can see into others' minds like looking into a window. By looking into your eyes, I can see what you've seen and feel what you've felt. Do you mind?"

He barely thought about it. Staring into her eyes made him feel so calm, so relaxed. He nodded slowly. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her teal irises seemed to swirl and move more intently.

Akane watched as his life flashed by before her eyes. Uzumaki Naruto had not lived a very happy life. She could feel the pain and guilt he felt over the death of a little girl. She could feel his heartache when she saw a girl with pink hair fawning over a solemn boy with dark eyes and long spiky black hair. She could feel his anguish over the way he'd been treated by the villagers. But there were happy moments, too few when compared to the sad ones.

She watched as a man in a green jacket with a scar on his nose and brown hair tied up in a short ponytail laughed and patted Naruto's back as he enjoyed a bowl of some strange food that Naruto seemed to not get enough of. She watched as Naruto shared a popsicle not unlike the one they had just shared with an old man with long white hair and a massive tube shaped object strapped to his waist.

She found herself smiling as a young Naruto pulled off a variety of mischievous deeds, such as covering the Hokage Monument in drawings and leading the man with the scar and other ninja dressed like him on a merry chase through the village. Tears filled her eyes as she watched his lonely childhood, being attacked by villagers and bullied by other children. "Demon!" they yelled as they mistreated the poor boy in a variety of ways.

As she neared the end of his memories, she realized that she had missed or been blocked from seeing certain things. However, whatever was being blocked was at the very end of his consciousness, and she found herself being drawn there, pulled by some ominous force.

She found herself standing in ankle deep water, in a dimly lit corridor. The sound of dripping water echoed through the cramped hallways, and she felt a cold dread settle in her stomach. Akane made her way towards the place where the unknown force was leading her. Each step seemed to take more effort than the last, and the temperature was steadily dropping.

_'What kind of place is this, and why is it in Naruto's mind?'_ she finally stepped into a large room with two massive barred gates blocking off half of the space. She continued on forwards, the water level rising to her knees. She was shivering now, and felt even more reluctant to walk forwards. But she persevered; she had to know what was behind the gates. Somehow, she knew this was the reason for the pain and darkness in Naruto's life.

She stopped in front of the gates and noticed a small slip of paper holding them together. The word 'Seal' was written in black ink and appeared to be the only thing holding the gates shut.

Out of the darkness behind the gates, two large red eyes suddenly opened. An even larger row of teeth slowly appeared, massive sharp teeth that gleamed a dull white in the dark room.

The eyes focused on Akane and she quivered with fear. The two rows of teeth suddenly moved apart and a loud menacing roar physically pushed Akane away. Wisps of some red substance aided Akane's retreat as she was forced out of Naruto's memories. She found herself once again gazing into Naruto's cerulean eyes, eyes that knew the pain of being alone, of being hated. Eyes that were currently watching her with concern.

"Are you alright?" Akane released her grip on Naruto's head and slumped back in her seat. Now that she knew the real Uzumaki Naruto, she saw him as an almost completely different person. She shook her head in response to his question and desperately tried to get a hold of herself. After a few calming breaths, she glanced at him, worry in her eyes.

"What was that thing?" she said as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"That thing is the reason the villagers give me such unfriendly looks. What you saw was the Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox spirit. It's a creature of great destructive power that nearly destroyed the village sixteen years ago. And it's been sealed inside me since the day of my birth."


	4. A Message from the Author

**A Message From the Author:**

Hello Readers! Kagyuubi here!

I apologize if you were expecting the next chapter of Advent of the Outlanders. But I have good news! But first I'll tell why this story hasn't been updated in forever. I found it difficult to write this story after a while since I jumped straight into writing without having a general plot in mind. Lesson learned: plan out your story before you begin!

Anyway, the news I wanted to share with you was that I finally got some ideas for the plot; however, I would like your input. See, with my current story, I attribute the lack of readers with the lack of an interesting plot. I personally find the writing style boring, I don't know if it's like that for the readers who favourited this fanfic (thank you!).

So I have a proposition. I want to tweak the story to focus more on the origins of the Outlanders, who are actually an ancient race called the Ayakashi who used to reside on earth, rather than have them being random aliens who drop in from space. I wanted to write a story about Ayakashi so I figured why not salvage an old story instead of writing a new story and putting more pressure on me to write for multiple stories at once.

With this, I'll be able to write a more interesting story with a stronger plot. As of this moment, I plan to see how much of the current three chapters I can use with minor tweaking, and if it becomes too convoluted, I'll rewrite the chapters. If you feel you like story as it is, I plan to change the writing style to be more like my latest fanfic Breaking Point: The Darkness Within. While I'm certainly not forcing you to read it, it will give you an example of what Advent of the Outlanders will become if you dislike the Ayakashi idea (though far less dark and M rated).

So that brings us to the main point of this message. I have set up a poll on my profile with the Ayakashi idea or leaving the story as it is using the Breaking Point style. Unfortunately I can't add an option to keep the story as it is, with the same writing style and ideas for plot because well, I have none. The writing style is boring and the plot is non-existent. I'm sorry if this doesn't agree with you but I'm really stuck with this story and I made a promise when I began writing to never abandon a story (since I know firsthand how annoying it is when a writer gives up writing a story you like).

Well, thank you for reading and for sticking with Advent of the Outlanders so far. If you arrived late to the party, I may upload the old chapters one day so you can see how the story was and how it compares to the new one.

The poll closes in one week (today being day one) so please take a little time to vote!

Kagyuubi


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